One Little Snippet
by TheDeep
Summary: A collection of all the one-shot stories I've done, including my challenge responses. I've tried to do this in order of my publications of the various one-shots. Each chapter is a different story! ;) Rated M overall for some stories individually. A little bit of everything, I guess... XD
1. Stand By Me (SMacked)

**Chapter One, Story One: Stand By Me**

**Summary: After a rough day, Mac and Stella end up together for the night. They both need support, so they turn to each other.**

**ooOOoo**

Mac sat quietly beside Stella, an arm wrapped around her shoulders as she leaned in to him. It had been one of the roughest days they had been through in a rather long time.

It might have been strange…but they had ended up at his apartment after the end of shift. They'd come right in and sat down on the floor by the door. Neither of them had really moved since.

"It's over now, Stell, we can put it all behind us," he murmured softly, still trying to console her as much as himself. The shoot-out had nearly cost both of them their lives and they'd barely gotten out of there with a round still in their clips.

Stella sighed, seeming a bit more calm than when they'd come back. "You scared the shit out of me you idiot," she finally muttered, shoving Mac roughly in the shoulder and a small smile starting to take shape on her face.

Mac smiled slightly in response. "I know, but you don't think you didn't scare me, do you?" he asked.

Stella looked back down at her hands for a moment, just now realizing she had put a death grip on his hand. "Yeah, I know," she said softly, loosening her grip on his hand. She looked back up at him to see an understanding look in his blue eyes and a soft smile on his face.

They sat in silence for only a brief moment before Mac spoke. "Stella…I'm not sure if I ever got to tell you that I love you."

Stella blinked in surprise, but a soft smile had already formed on her lips. Before she even really knew what she was doing, she leaned in and kissed him right on the lips and he kissed her back. Then they sat there, still so close their noses touched.

Stella's smile widened ever so slightly and she ran a hand up his neck and then through his hair, making Mac smile a little more as well and his gaze fall to his hands. She gently raised his head again so he was looking at her once more and she smiled softly. She received a smile in return. "I love you too, Mac."


	2. But I Do (SMacked)

**Chapter Two, Story Two: "But I Do"**

**Summary: When you're angry, you can say a few things you don't mean. A heated argument may cost Stella and Mac their relationship, and maybe something more as well. Based off Tim McGraw's "Highway Don't Care". SMacked One-shot. Rated M for several uses of a few bad words.**

"_**But I Do"**_

Rain spattered against the windshield of the Avalanche as he drove, windshield wipers on high and four-way emergency lights flashing. He wasn't paying attention, driving way too fast, his knuckles white as both hands gripped the steering wheel. The song on the radio blared loud, Mac registering the song as a perfect description of his situation.

"**The highway don't care if you're alone, but I do, I do!"**

"Damn it," he cursed, eyes falling from the road for a moment before they returned to the path in front of him.

"**The highway won't dry your tears,**

**The highway don't need you here,**

**The highway don't care if you're coming home, but I do, I do!"**

_**~ Earlier ~**_

"Really, I don't give a damn right now, Stella!" Mac growled.

"Then what the hell are you doing here? If you don't care, get out! What do I need from you then?" Stella snapped angrily.

"I don't know! Apparently it doesn't matter anymore! What the hell do I know or care for according to you, huh?" With that, he turned on his heels and stormed out of her place, letting the door slam behind him.

"GOOD RIDDANCE!" Stella yelled after him, temper still cooking on high.

She watched out the window as the taillights of his Avalanche sped off down the street. "He'll get himself killed driving like that!" she muttered with a growl.

"**The highway don't care,**

**The highway don't care,**

**The highway don't care! But I do, I do!"**

His phone rang from the passenger seat and he shot a regret-filled glance at the caller ID. It was Stella.

He shook his head, looking back to the road and still trying to fight back tears and emotions. "What the hell does she want now?" he growled half-heartedly, trying to steel his mind against wanting to answer her phone call. "I thought she said it was over! End of conversation!"

**ooOOoo**

It had taken her only a few minutes before the tears came and she realized how harsh they'd been. "Oh, Mac…What did we do?"

She reached a shaky hand for her cellphone, remembering how fast he'd been driving when he'd pulled out. She couldn't let him get in to a car accident that may cost him his life when what they'd said was as harsh and untrue as it was.

She listened as the phone rang, praying he would pick up, praying he'd be able to forgive, slow down, and be willing to try again with her.

"**I bet you got no idea you're going way too fast**

**You're trying not to think about what went wrong**

**Trying not to stop 'til you get where you goin'**

**You're trying to stay awake so I bet you turned on the radio**

**And the song goes,**

**I can't live without you, I can't live without you baby**

**I can't live without you, I can't live without you baby, baby!"**

He shook his head, still trying to fight off the feelings. He finally reached for his phone on the passenger seat, sliding a finger across the screen to answer the call.

"_What do you want now?" _he asked as an answer to the call, knowing it was Stella.

"_I want you to slow down! I saw how fast you were driving when you left! You're going to get yourself killed!"_ Stella's answer was pleading.

He sighed and shook his head. _"What does it matter to you anymore? I thought you said it was over!"_

"_Mac! Have sense! Listen to yourself! I realize now that we were way too harsh! Please, Mac! Slow down! I don't want for you to hurt yourself!" _Stella pleaded with him again.

He was about to reply when he saw the red light just in front and the car riding through the intersection.

"**You're trying not to let the first tear fall out,**

**Trying not to think about turning around,**

**Trying not to get lost in sound but that song is always on,**

**So you sing along,**

**I can't live without you, I can't live without you baby,**

**I can't live without I can't live without you baby, baby,**

**The highway won't hold you tonight,**

**The highway don't know you're alive,**

**The highway don't care if you're all alone, but I do, I do!"**

"MAC!" Stella yelled in to the phone. There was a sickening sound of metal on metal as two cars collided and she almost dropped her cell in her haste to put Mac on hold and call 911.

"_911, what's your emergency?"_

"_This is Detective Stella Bonasera, I think someone just wrecked! Detective Taylor was involved! You need to send an ambulance and units out there now!"_ Stella rushed, already grabbing her own set of keys. She knew Mac would've been heading home and she knew what route he probably used.

"_I'm sending units now, Detective Bonasera."_ It was the last thing Stella heard before she slammed the "end call" button on her phone and raced out to her car. She got in and raced out after Mac.

_**~ Later… ~**_

"Stella, what happened?" Don asked as he watched Stella pace in front of him in the hallway of Trinity General.

"We got in to a fight and…we said a few things…he left and I know he was driving way too fast…he must not have hit the brakes fast enough," Stella said distractedly. Her mind was on their argument and the song she'd heard in the background blaring from the radio of the Avalanche when Mac had answered.

"**The highway won't dry your tears,**

**The highway don't need you here,**

**The highway don't care if you're coming home, but I do, I do!"**

She'd stayed with him all night, holding one of his hands in hers and just looking at him. She'd fought off the tears for about an hour before she couldn't stop herself any longer.

Now, sitting at his side and praying he'd be ok, the song came back on her mind and she immediately jumped to the chorus.

"I can't live without you, I can't live without you baby. I can't live without you, I can't live without you baby, baby. The highway won't hold you tonight, The highway don't know you're alive, The highway don't care if you're all alone, But I do, I do.

The highway won't dry your tears, The highway don't need you here, The highway don't care if you're coming home, But I do, I do."

She sighed softly, shaking her head and feeling another tear start to slide down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry…I never wanted this to happen," she murmured, looking back at him. "Mac…the highway didn't need you, still doesn't care, but I do, I do care. And I need you to stay here with me, please. Don't give up on me now."

"**The highway don't care,**

**The highway don't care,**

**The highway don't care, but I do, I do!"**

"Stell?"

Stella looked up, relief filling her eyes when she saw him looking back at her. He sounded slightly confused. Whether that was from the crash or her being there, she wasn't quite sure.

"Yeah, I'm here, Mac," she said softly with a slight smile.

He smiled just slightly in return. "You sing beautifully, Stell," he said.

Stella smiled a little more and a bit of a laugh escaped her lips. "You heard that?"

Mac smiled softly. "Of course I did," he said.

Stella finally broke in to an all-out smile. "The highway don't care," she started singing softly again.

Mac smiled a little more as well. "But I do, I do," he said.

Stella looked back at him, her smile softening. "I'm so sorry…for everything we said."

He shook his head a bit. "No, I'm the one that should be sorry. I'm sorry…sorry for all of it."

"**The highway won't hold you tonight,**

**The highway don't know you're alive,**

**The highway don't care if you're all alone."**

**Note: **The song's not mine, but it is one of my favorites. Thanks for reading you all! Hope you liked and I hope I did the song justice.


	3. Ambitions (Challenge feat Stella)

**Chapter Three, Story Three: Ambitions**

**Summary: A vic on Broadway brings Stella's attention to a battle for head of a prestigious design company in New York! My attempt at 2NYwLove's challenge. I got Stella, Broadway, the AV Lab, and Ambitious. This was my first challenge response! ;)**

**. . . . . . . .**

Stella sighed softly and set her kit down at her feet before she quickly tied her hair back in to a ponytail.

"Pretty public place for a murder, don't ya think?" Don asked as he joined her, looking down at their vic with a bit of a what Stella could only call a frown.

"Tell me about it. No place to dump a body like Broadway!" she said with a slight grin as she kneeled down and whipped out a pair of latex gloves and slid them on.

Don nodded. "Well…the story to go with it is just about as weird as your killer's public choice," he told her as she looked at the singular gunshot wound on the vic.

Stella's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't look up. "Oh yeah?" she asked as she checked the pockets of the vic's jacket and came up with an ID.

Flack nodded. "Oh yeah. Supposedly the woman that found him is his coworker!" he said. Stella had to smirk at the almost sarcastic tone of Flack's comment.

"You believe her?" Stella asked, leaning back in to a more upright position and momentarily bracing herself against the pavement with one of her hands. "Did she say who the vic is?" she added another question as she looked over the driver's license she found in the wallet. According to this the vic was a 45 year old man named Brantley Corbin, head of a prestigious building designing company based out of Manhattan. Stella had heard about the company on the news a few times.

"Brantley Corbin. Mrs. Maxwell says Corbin here is her boss," Flack replied.

Stella nodded. "Right on the money," she said, twisting around so she looked up at the tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed homicide detective, showing him the driver's license.

Flack eyed the ID presented to him by Stella. "Hmm…how ironic," he grunted, turning back to his notes. "Maxwell says they were both gunning for the head of the company as big boss man was retiring," he said.

"You're thinking motive?" Stella asked knowingly as she turned back to Corbin's body.

"Answer: Daily Double," Flack said with a grin.

Stella chuckled a bit. "Your humor really keeps me going sometimes, you know that?" she asked.

Flack smiled. "I'm touched," he said, holding a hand over his chest where his heart was and looking down at Stella. Stella smirked even more at the look on his face she saw when she looked up at him.

"Alright. Maxwell got a first name, Romeo?" she teased.

Flack's smile fell right off his face. "Really? That's what you pay me back with?" he asked, frowning.

Stella smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder after she'd taken her gloves off. "Yup. Answer: Daily Double," she quipped with an innocent grin.

Flack sighed, shook his head, and rolled his eyes. "Why do I put up with you guys?" he muttered. Stella smirked and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Anyways…she told me she had no idea what happened," Don said, finally telling Stella what she wanted to know.

"Thank you," Stella said, hands on her hips in an exaggeration.

Flack smirked. "Don't thank me yet. I got you security tapes from the local security cameras," he said as one of the officer that he'd waved over joined them and offered Stella some tapes.

"Ooohhh, goodie!" Stella said with a grin as she accepted the tapes. She looked back to Don, who was grinning in amusement at her reaction. "I'm heading back to the lab and I'll run over these…possibly with the help of Adam," she said. "Call me if you get anything," she said as she gathered up her kit.

Flack smirked and nodded as he flipped his notebook closed. "Certainly, Detective Bonasera!" he said, straightening up his posture and giving her a salute.

Stella smirked and rolled her eyes, punching him lightly in the shoulder again as she headed towards her car. "Very cute, Don!" she called over her shoulder, leaving Flack smirking at that.

. . . . . . . . .

Stella stretched her arms above her head without taking her eyes off the screen in front of her. She'd gone through the first tape with nothing interesting brought to her attention and then Sid had called her with a TOD. The COD, as Stella had guessed, was the single GSW to the chest. She'd asked if she needed to come down, but Sid had told her no and that he'd call her if he got anything else that she needed to know about it from that.

Knowing TOD, she had skipped the second tape of security footage to the third tape. All of them were labeled for time slots and dates, making her search a whole lot easier.

Then…something caught her eye. A single stopped car, parked along the road near her crime scene. She watched as the driver got out and was only a bit surprised that she recognized Maxwell, that girl Don had told her about earlier, get out of the car. She leaned back in her seat as she watched Maxwell drag, with a lot of difficulty of course, the dead weight of Brantley Corbin out of the back seat of the vehicle to leave his body on the sidewalk at the head of the alley where they had found him.

"Ambitious turns murderous," she muttered.

"Answer: Daily Double." Stella smiled at Flack's voice. "Plus, I've got someone who wants to talk to you," he said.

Stella spun her chair around so she faced Don and the homicide detective stepped aside to reveal Maxwell standing there.

Stella couldn't help but frown. "We couldn't do this in interrogation?" she asked, looking from the blonde Maxwell to Don.

"She insisted on talking to you…wherever you were, which just so happens to be here," Don offered as an answer.

"I didn't kill him!" Maxwell stated right off, hazel eyes darting from the screen to Stella and then to Don.

"Then why does this video show you lugging his body out of that car? Is it your car?" Stella questioned, not at all taking her answer seriously.

"No! That's not me!" Maxwell lied again. Stella couldn't help but note she lied horribly.

"Yes it is," Stella said. "You're the only one in this case that matches even a general ID of this person," she said, pointing to Maxwell's figure on the screen of the computer. "But lucky for you, this movie is presented to you in HD!" she couldn't help but add, switching to a frame that showed Maxwell looking directly at the camera. It clearly was the blonde that stood in the lab with her now.

"But I didn't shoot him!" Maxwell insisted.

Stella sighed, her shoulders slumping in "defeat." "Alright, if that's true…you won't mind me checking your hands for GSR, will you?" she shot at the blonde.

Maxwell stared almost blankly at her as Stella stood from her seat. "GSR?" she asked as Stella motioned for the blonde to follow her to her office, where she pulled out her kit and then grabbed the few things she'd need for the test.

"Gunshot residue," Stella replied as she took one of Maxwell's hands. The blonde still seemed lost, so Stella elaborated, "Hold your hand like you're holding a gun."

Maxwell did as she was told and Stella quickly swabbed her hand, and then her other hand, before adding the concoction from her kit. She frowned just a bit when the small pad she'd used to swab Maxwell's hands turned blue from the solution reacting with GSR.

"You lied," she stated simply.

Maxwell looked blankly at her. "No I didn't," she stated stubbornly.

Stella almost rolled her eyes. She had heard that stubborn tone so many times from Mac that she recognized it instantly. "You shot Corbin. Why?"

Maxwell let out a sigh, rolled her eyes, and quickly folded her arms across her chest. "I was better for the job," she muttered.

"Excuse me?" Stella asked, knowing what she was talking about, but wanting to get the whole story.

"We were both gunning for the head of the company and even he knew I was better!" Maxwell snapped impatiently and Stella caught the glint of anger and ambition in her eyes. Her ambition was a bit dangerous. She had gone about getting the position the wrong way.

"So you killed him," she said.

Maxwell looked over at her, seeming a bit distressed. "I didn't mean too…I just…I just wanted to talk with him…and when he refused to back down…and came towards me…I…I just pulled the trigger! He got what was coming to him anyway! You would've known if you'd known him!" she snapped again. "I couldn't let him take what was rightfully and obviously mine," she added with a nod.

It almost disgusted Stella that she seemed to think she'd justified herself and her actions and that she seemed to believe what she did was right.

"Alright. Why don't we go down to the precinct and I want you to write that down. All of it. Why? Because you're under arrest for murder," Stella stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

Maxwell shot a glare at her, which Stella ignored and instead looked to Flack. "Wanna walk down with me and our lovely guest?" she asked.

Flack almost smirked. "With pleasure."


	4. Some Comfort Here (Event Challenge)

**Chapter Four, Story Four: Some Comfort Here**

**Summary: Sheldon struggles to comfort Ellie after the unthinkable happens. My response to Kates89's Event Challenge. I got Sheldon, Ellie Danville, and A Funeral. I also went back and did a few edits, just to add a tiny bit more detail.**

Sheldon stood with Ellie in the silence. Not too far off, Sheldon knew Mac and the remainder of the team was suited up in full uniform.

As Ellie continued to cry quietly in his shoulder, Sheldon looked over the team, his extended family, as they stood with bowed heads.

Mac somehow managed to keep his posture straight, almost military in style, but his downcast eyes revealed his true struggle with emotions.

After Jo'd been shot…Sheldon thought Mac said some of the toughest words the older CSI had ever had to say. Mac had simply put it that they would find who did this to her. He'd fired up the crew, just like he'd always done.

But it had been different. Mac had quietly asked Sheldon to stay with him for a moment and friend had consoled friend. And for the first time in a very long time, Mac had been unable to keep the tears away.

It was almost the same today, Sheldon could see it in the way he didn't look up and the way he set his jaw…and the way he'd clasped his hands in front of him.

The wind blew softly through the trees and Sheldon was forced to look back to Ellie.

"I…I need to know…I need to know what happened to her," Ellie barely succeeded in telling him between the several sobs that came with the same thought she'd had all week.

Sheldon sighed softly. He didn't know what to tell her.

"_JO!" Mac yelled, shock making his blue eyes go wide as he raced forward, tossing his gun to the side as he caught his partner in his arms as she fell._

None of them could've done anything. They'd had no warning and no alert that anyone was there besides them.

Sheldon still remembered walking down the hall at the hospital towards the pacing Mac.

Mac's eyes had been fixed on the floor just as they were fixed on the ground now, and his posture had been just as tense.

Sheldon finally took a deep breath and fought back some of his own tears. "Someone shot her, Ellie," he finally said softly.

Ellie leaned against him once more, hiding her face in his shoulder again as Sheldon wrapped an arm around the distraught teen's shoulders. "Who?" he heard her ask.

Sheldon sighed softly. "We don't know yet."

Then the beginning of "Amazing Grace" broke through the silence on that somewhat foggy morning. Sheldon nearly choked on the emotions the setting brought on him. The song, the fog, the team standing ready as always and the flashing police lights on the several squad cars and the team's Avalanches all brought Sheldon's world to a grinding halt when he factored in the fact that Jo was dead...

Sheldon looked back to the team. Lindsay had stepped up with Lucy to attempt at consoling Mac. He saw Mac finally look up and Sheldon almost flinched from the battling and conflicted emotions that darkened Mac's usually bright, ice blue eyes to a dark ocean blue, almost the same shade of his uniform if Sheldon was honest with himself.

"_Mac…if there was anything I could say…"_

"_No. There's nothing anyone can say," Mac cut him off._

_Sheldon sighed and looked at him. As much as he hated to admit it, there was no denying the truth of Mac's words. "We'll find who did this," he said finally._

_The older man sighed and nodded, his shoulders slumping. Sheldon believed Mac was finally letting his walls come down…but these weren't the walls Sheldon wanted to watch fall._

"_I wish there was something I could've done…"Mac sighed and looked up to the city that was just starting to see twilight. Sheldon noted he was biting at his lip, but it wasn't enough to keep a few tears from escaping his eyes and the older man took in a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to steady himself.._

_Hawkes simply stood with him, a hand on his shoulder. They talked… but it wasn't much. There wasn't much to talk about. The least either could do was try though…and be there for each other._

"Come on, Ellie," Sheldon said softly, making Ellie look up at him. "We should join the others."

So, him and Ellie walked over, joining the respectfully quiet crowd that surrounded the team. Sheldon and Ellie filled in beside Danny and Lindsay. Danny, Lindsay, and Hawkes shared a look before Mac looked up at the three of them as well.

Sheldon had a hard time swallowing in that moment and he looked back to the key thing in this event.

He still couldn't believe she was gone. Jo…she had been so bright, always finding the positive side of things for not only herself, but everyone else on the team as well.

Sheldon sighed softly and looked back to Ellie, whose gaze was focused blindly ahead. He once again found himself wishing there was something he could say, something that would comfort him, the team, or Ellie. Or maybe all of them. But there was nothing to say to do that.

There was nothing he, or anyone else, could say to bring them even the smallest bit of comfort.

There was no comfort here. None at all.


	5. Roses Are Red (Room With 2 Characters)

**Chapter Five, Story Five: Roses Are Red**

**Summary: While in Greece, Stella meets up with Professor Papakota and they start talking about what Stella does in New York. My response to GeorgeAndrews's 'A Room With Two Characters' challenge.**

**ooOOoo**

"So…Stella, what have you been doing in New York? I haven't heard from you in…well…ages!" Professor Papkota smiled a bit and looked over at Stella walking with him.

A warm, gentle breeze blew through the garden, gently waving the branches of the still very green trees and rose bushes that made up most of the garden, but there were several other types of plants mixed in as well, quite a few of them native to Greece, which was to be expected.

Stella smiled a little. "CSI," Stella responded. "Remember? I graduated from Academy. It wasn't too long after I picked up CSI," she explained.

Professor Papakota smiled and nodded, looking pleased that she was doing so well. "And, if you don't mine my asking, do you a special someone?" he asked, elbowing Stella lightly and grinning like he knew there had to be somebody.

Stella blushed just a little and smiled, playfully pushing his arm away. "I do actually," she said, looking down at her hands for a moment. "I actually wouldn't be surprised if he's here in Greece with me!" She honestly hadn't thought about Mac tailing her to Greece until that exact moment, but he was certainly capable of it – being the stubborn, pain in the ass that he could be at times. Then again, she did love the man and she could be quite stubborn herself…so there was nothing she could say.

"Oh really?" Professor Papkota asked. "Does this man have a name?" he asked, almost teasing her.

Stella laughed a little bit. "Mac Taylor. He's turned out to be quite a lot more than my best friend," she smiled softly at the memory of dinner back in New York.

"_You really did not have to do all that, Mac Taylor!" Stella said although she was grinning._

"_Yes I did!" Mac said stubbornly, looking over at her and Stella laughed even more at the very serious expression displayed on his handsome features._

"_Alright, shut up before I leave you locked in my closet for the night!" Stella joked as she used her free hand to smooth out a spot on his shoulder where his jacket had gotten a little ruffled._

_Mac smirked and then smiled softly. "Wouldn't want that," he said and the two of them stopped for a moment and shared a passionate kiss before they continued down the street, smiling, laughing, and holding hands._

Professor Papakota smiled. "Isn't he one of the detectives on your team?" he asked.

Stella wasn't extremely surprised the Professor had remembered her mentioning Mac before. "Yes, he's my boss."

"Ooohhh," Professor Papakota grinned and looked over at her. "That's a dangerous combination sometimes," he said.

"Oh stop it! Mac's quite the gentleman," Stella said, grinning and laughing a little herself. She knew that even though he was joking around with her like this, he was happy for her. "You'd like him if you met him in person, and knowing him you might just get the chance!"

They kept up the playful banter as they continued to walk, side by side, through the garden. Stella told him a little bit more about life in New York and Professor Papakota asked a few more questions, of course, before the two split for the time.

It had been a good talk and Stella was still smiling as she headed for the exit of the garden.


	6. Baby, I'm In (MacPeyton)

**Chapter Six, Story Six: Baby, I'm In**

**Summary: One night of fun, just them and no one else. It was something they both needed, and something neither of them will forget too fast. A shot at taking us all back to the better times between Mac and Peyton! :) This was my first time pairing these two and I honestly never got a good feel on the show on how I liked her for Mac's partner... much less as a character in a story of mine. And of course, I don't own anything, but I love this song from Keith Urban. It's actual title is, "I'm In."**

**ooOOoo**

"Oh, Mac, stop it!" Peyton scolded, her eyes wide as she watched the usually serious Mac shoot a playfully mischievous glance at her.

"Oh, come on! Do this next one with me!" Mac pleaded.

Peyton laughed at the childishly pleading look that now fully set itself on his handsome features. "Damn you, Mac! I said stop it!" she scolded again, swatting at his hand as he went to take her hand.

"This is a once in a lifetime chance with me, take it or leave it," Mac pointed out, his head cocked and making Peyton laugh even more at the expression he currently wore.

"Oh, fine! You win! You're too cute when you want something like this!"

Mac flashed a wide, boyish, triumphant grin as he took Peyton's hand, leading her to the clear area of the kitchen floor of his apartment.

"Cute?" he questioned as they got organized, his expression changing to a questioning one. "That's a new one!"

"Stop it!" Peyton said once more, grinning.

Mac smiled. "Do it. I know you want to!" he said, starting to chuckle a bit as he watched her struggle to contain another laugh unsuccessfully.

They had the radio playing loud enough they could still dance with each other out in the open where they had space.

Just as they really got settled down, Keith Urban's "I'm In" came on.

It might have seemed strange to any who had the great luck to witness it, but the words and the dance him and Peyton made up as they went came naturally to both of them.

"_If I knew what I was doing, I'd be doing it right now_

_I would be the best damn poet, silver words out of my mouth_

_My words might not be magic but they cut straight to the truth_

_So if you need a lover and a friend_

_Baby, I'm in, I'm in, baby, I'm in, I'm in!"_

That coaxed a laugh from Peyton as Mac smiled. "Only singing that for me, are you?" she asked, looking over at him. There was a rare gleam of childish happiness that brightened his blue eyes and Peyton couldn't help but smile.

"Did I say I was finished?" Mac asked, spinning her around to catch her in his arms and smiling down at her.

Peyton laughed a little more as he got her back on her feet.

"_Baby, come on in, the water's fine_

_I'll be right here, you take your time_

_Just let me hold you and we'll both take that leap of faith_

_It's like I told you there's no guarantee when you feel this way."_

Peyton grinned and she picked up the next verse of the song right there with him.

"_If I knew what I was doing, I'd be doing it right now_

_I would be the best damn poet, silver words out of my mouth_

_My words might not be magic but they cut straight to the truth_

_So if you need a lover and a friend_

_Baby, I'm in, I'm in, baby, I'm in, I'm in!"_

They worked through that song a few times and it was one of the most laid-back, fun nights either of them had had in a long time.

It was one neither of them would forget too fast.


	7. Thoughts In A Storm (First Person)

**Chapter Seven, Story Seven: Thoughts In A Storm**

**Summary: A thunderstorm and a long day leave Jo pondering a few things she doesn't care to think about nor wish to worry her friends with. My response to Leslie Emm's First Person Challenge. I got Jo, Jealous, and a Thunderstorm.**

I stared somewhat grouchily out at the rain that spattered against the window of me and Lindsay's shared office in the New York Crime Lab.

I should've left _hours_ ago, but Ellie was at her friend's for the weekend and Tyler was off…with one of his friends for the next week or so. I didn't really want to go home if all I was going to do was sit at home and stew with my own thoughts over what had happened today.

"You ok, Jo?"

Mac's calm, concerned voice startled me and I spun around to face him.

A surge of jealousy and anger suddenly snapped at my face from out of nowhere.

"Fine," I snapped quickly. I realized too late I'd snapped at him and I saw the concern deepen and a bit of shock enter his gaze.

I'd _never_ snapped at him. Now guilt swept over me and I brushed a strand of my black hair back out of my face.

"I'm fine," I said, my voice softer this time. I turned my back on him again and started playing with my necklace somewhat mindlessly as I stared out the window again, my thoughts far from me playing with my necklace.

There was a moment of silence before I heard Mac take a few steps closer to me and then I realized he'd placed a hand on my shoulder. I drag my gaze away from the city as a distant flash of lightning cracked the darkness of the sky.

"You sure you're alright? I can call Christine…I'm sure she wouldn't mind…"

"No. Mac Taylor, it's not my business to disrupt your life outside of this crime lab. You go do whatever you two lovebirds do," I cut him off and one of those natural smiles slipped on my face as I gave him a pat on the shoulder.

I caught a trace of a smile flash across his features.

At least he had someone to go home to.

_There's that damn jealousy again. What the hell is going on with me today?_ I silently growl at myself for being so selfish.

"You just call me if something comes up, ok? I care about you, Jo. You're one of my best friends," Mac said. He offered me one last smile before he headed out of the lab.

For once he had his phone out before he reached the elevator. The thought that he was already texting Christine made me smirk.

That didn't last long.

"Drop it, Danville!" I hiss under my breath as I plop myself down in front of my computer. I had a few reports that could use some work. _Those ought to keep me busy, _I think. At least, that's what I hope.

Thunder rumbles outside as I set myself to the work, my mind still battling a sense of being somewhat and very much alone and a bit jealous. Why, I was unable to determine.

I just didn't like it. I hated it. It was selfish and unfair. I promised myself and vowed I would find a way to banish such a thought from my head by the time I went to bed and, with that satisfying thought and task in mind, I turned my mind to the very real task of finishing up case reports so that I could go home and leave this whole job behind for the night.


	8. From Friend To Friend (Quote Swap)

**Chapter Eight, Story Eight: From Friend To Friend**

**Summary: We all have that one friend that can tell us exactly what we need to hear whenever we need to hear it, and there's no one on the team like Sid for giving out some well needed advice to his friends when they need it. My response to the Quote Swap challenge where I got Sid, Central Park, and, "Lullaby thing's a little weird, but milk and cookies could happen."**

**ooOOoo**

"You look exhausted, Mac," Sid pointed out. It was a beautiful, calm evening in Central Park and Sid still considered it a miracle he'd coaxed the senior detective off of his shift earlier for a walk. Sid had been out of the morgue for the past week. The week had been his possibly much needed time off, although there hadn't been much to do through the days.

Mac looked over at him with a tired smile. "For once, I don't think I'll disagree," he responded.

It was just about the middle of fall and the crisp air was a little nippy, so both Sid and Mac had coats on to shield themselves from the cool air.

"You should go home. I'll talk to Jo about covering for you tomorrow. You know none of us will mind if you take tomorrow off, Mac," the older man reminded Mac gently.

Mac smiled softly and Sid caught a bit of a laugh from Mac. Mac looked over at Sid for a moment, wondering for a moment how on Earth Sid knew him like a father knew his son. He always had advice when Mac needed it. For that, Mac was eternally grateful. "I'd love to…but I don't think I can," he said.

"Mac," Sid said. It wasn't the way he said it, it was the way he was trying again with Mac that made Mac smile a little more. "You need it. The last time you took off was…When? You're trip to London?"

"Technically, I could argue that," Mac said.

"Mandatory Medical Leave doesn't count, Mac," Sid said with a knowing smile.

That coaxed a soft chuckle from Mac. "Read my mind," he said softly.

Sid smiled softly. "Take tomorrow off and then I can see you back on Saturday, Mac," he said. "It'll do you a world of good."

Mac looked over at him. "You driving me home and tucking me in with a lullaby along with milk and cookies?" he couldn't help but ask and he smirked.

"Ohh, you're funny!" Sid chuckled. "Lullaby thing's a little weird, but milk and cookies could happen," he pointed out.

Mac smirked again. "It's not necessary, Sid, really. You covering for me tomorrow is good enough for me," he said.

Sid nodded. "It's the least I can do for you, Mac, after all you've done for me. You've done more than you think for all of us," he said.

Mac smiled softly. "Well, I can't argue with a good doctor like you, Sid. I'll take tomorrow off and I'll see you again on Saturday."

Sid smiled softly and nodded. "We'll hold the fort down for you, Mac. You take the time you need."

Mac nodded. "Thanks, Sid. I might even sneak over and surprise Christine tomorrow around lunch time with the time I'll have on my hands."

Sid smiled and chuckled. "Think you can manage all that spare time, Mac? I haven't seen you stop in years!" he joked.

Mac smiled. "Well, I'll do my best. I'm sure I'll figure something out."

Sid smiled and gave Mac a pat on the back. "I'm sure you will, Mac."


	9. Old Friends (Challenge Fic)

**Chapter Nine, Story Nine: Old Friends**

**Summary: A catch up chat between two old friends. My response to my own challenge where GeorgeAndrews picked me numbers for Mac Taylor, Drew Bedford, and the quote, "Let's face it, this is *not* the worst thing you've caught me doing." This might come off as a little weird, but this was my take on how things would be if that night in Chicago with Bobby Toole never happened.**

"Detective Taylor?"

The question made Mac look up and pause in his reloading his service weapon. His gaze met that of an officer. "Yes?" he asked.

"You have someone wishing to see you," the officer responded, stepping aside. Mac smiled slightly when he saw the man.

He nodded. "Thanks. I'll take it from here."

The officer nodded and left the man with Mac in his office.

The man was smiling. ".40 caliber?" he asked.

Mac nodded and quickly finished by sliding the now full magazine in to the gun and racking a round in to the chamber before laying the loaded and ready gun on his desk. "I thought you were in Chicago, Andy?" he asked, sitting down and nodding to the couch across the office to invite his old friend to sit down.

Andy smiled a bit and sat down. "Yeah, but it's been so long…and since when did you trade in your old Nerf gun for a .40 caliber semi-automatic, Mac?" he asked.

Mac smirked and looked back to the gun on his desk. "Let's face it, this is _not_ the worst thing you've caught me doing," he pointed out with a nod to the gun.

Andy smirked. "Yeah. I think the worst thing I caught you doing was hiding out with your girlfriend!"

"Andy!" Mac exclaimed, looking over at the now laughing Andy with wide blue eyes. "Don't you dare go there!"

"I just did, Mac!" Andy pointed out, still laughing.

Mac finally cracked a smile at that. "Point made. And to answer your question, I've had that gun for a while now. I've been working CSI for a little over ten years."

"Ah…Well, you don't write no more, how was I suppose' to know?" Andy pointed out with a smirk.

Mac grinned. "Alright. Did you come here to catch up or to whoop my ass for everything I haven't done since I left Chicago?"

Andy smiled a bit. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself."

Mac smiled and shook his head. "No problem there. I know you couldn't!"

Andy smirked. "It's good to see you again, Mac."

Mac smiled softly and nodded. "Good to see you too, Andy."


	10. Your Turn (Children Challenge)

**Chapter Ten, Story Ten: Your Turn**

**Summary: "I wanna get something for my momma," Sam said. Little did anyone on the team know at the beginning that Sam would have one certain CSI wrapped around his finger in the end. My response to Kates89 Children Challenge in which I got Mac/Sam (From S2: "Necrophilia Americana"), hopeful, and flowers.**

**ooOOoo**

"I wanna get something for my momma," Sam said.

Mac couldn't help but smile softly. Let's all be realistic, he had a soft spot for the kid. "Ok. I think I can help out with that," he said. The two of them stopped in the hallway of the lab as Mac pulled out his wallet and handed Sam a five. "That should be enough to get her something nice."

Sam flashed a bit of a sheepish smile as he looked up at Mac. "Your turn for a story," he said with a giggle.

Mac smiled and was unable to stifle a soft chuckle. "My turn? Again?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"Why don't we see if we can't find your mom something and I'll try to figure something out?" Mac offered, holding out one of his hands for Sam to take.

"Ok," Sam said, a huge smile Mac figured was as wide as the Hudson was long quickly taking shape on the kid's face.

So, down to the parking garage and in to the Avalanche they went. He should honestly be at the lab and on the case…but that kid had powers. Mac swore it. He couldn't say no. Especially after figuring out the whole mess of family ties that had complicated the case. Who would've thought that Sam was their vic's sister's daughter? And his father had been in jail for drugs? Even Mac wouldn't have guessed that one without the evidence.

They headed away for the lab and Mac parked along the sidewalk before him and Sam wandered up and down the streets, hunting down "the one", as Sam constantly told Mac.

Mac watched as Sam wandered from his side to look at the flowers for sale in one shop.

The look on the boy's face when he looked back at Mac was seriously too much for Mac to take. It was official: this kid had Mac in the palm of his hand. Mac couldn't help but smile.

"What'd you find, kiddo?" he asked as he walked up and kneeled down at Sam's side so he could be at Sam's level.

"Flower!" Sam said, pointing to a pretty arrangement of red roses and a few other flowers Mac thought he recognized, but didn't stop to think about their exact names.

Mac almost laughed when he saw Sam's disappointment at the price. He shot a hopeful look at Mac and Mac finally couldn't help himself.

"Relax, I got it," Mac soothed, pulling out two ones from his wallet and handing them to Sam.

Another humongous smile crossed the youngster's face and Mac went inside with him to get the flowers for his mom.

Ok, maybe "mom" wasn't the term many would use. They'd say "adopted mom", probably, but Mac didn't care to bring that up to Sam. The kid had already been through enough.

"When will I see her?" Sam asked. Mac nearly chuckled again as the little boy had insisted on carrying the flowers by himself and they were almost as big as Sam himself.

"Soon," Mac assured him with a soft smile. They'd see them once they were back at the lab, and Mac was certain his parents would be glad to have him back. He knew his actual mother had threatened a custody trial and hearing, and Mac had simply said, "I'll see you there."

He personally thought Sam was perfectly happy where he was with his parents. He definitely knew he was better off with the family he had instead of his actual parents: a jealous sister and a man who'd just gotten out of jail after being put away for drugs.

He shot a glance back at Sam sitting in the rear seats of the Avalanche as he drove to see him still wearing a huge grin. Once again, Mac found himself smiling.

_Stella and Lindsay are so not going to let me forget this one too fast._ He almost smirked at the thought.


	11. To The Rescue (Challenge feat Don)

**Chapter Eleven, Story Eleven: To The Rescue**

**Summary: A whacked out suspect and case on Times Square and then paperwork at the precinct? This was definitely not how he planned on spending his night, but he has a certain someone to help him out! This is my second response to 2NYwLove's challenge. This time I got Don, Times Square, Bored, and the Precinct. I found a way to sneak Jess in to this, since it seemed to fit. ;)**

**ooOOoo**

Don exchanged a glance with Mac, who looked about as excited as Don felt. That was uhh…let's see…not much at all, really.

Times Square was busy behind them with cabs and cars and busses. All that was normal. What was abnormal was the guy that stood in front of Mac and Don. It was very clear to Don that Mac was starting to lose his patience rather quickly. (Then again, did Don dare add that he'd never been known for having long periods of patience with suspects? Hmmm…let's go with no. That would seriously make Mac lose whatever patience he had left at the moment…)

"Let me get this straight…" Mac started again with an exaggerated sense of patience and a somewhat loud sigh. "You found her here and you shot her? With this gun?" he asked, holding up the revolver him and Don had found with the guy when they discovered him… well… standing _over_ the dead body of their victim.

The guy nodded and Don wrote that down in his notebook. This guy really had the intelligence of a freakin' five year old at the moment being as damn drunk as he was. Why wasn't Don surprised?

Out of the corner of his eye, Don saw Mac finally roll his eyes, motioning over one of the uniforms to cuff the guy and get him in the squad car.

Don stuffed his notebook back in to the pocket of his jacket. "You buyin' his story, Mac?" he asked.

Mac was wearing one of his classic 'what the hell did I just get myself in to' looks and Don was wearing a rather similar expression. "I honestly don't know. The evidence will have to tell us."

Don nodded. Either way they'd have the evidence talk. Even if Mac already had an opinion. "I'll tell you one thing though," Don said as him and Mac watched over their shoulders as the officer had to actually sit the guy down in the backseat of the squad car. Mac actually looked back to him and the two were sharing another look as Don finished, "That guy is drunk as shit."

Mac nodded and let out another sigh. "Well, I best get back to the lab with Lindsay and Hawkes. Hopefully we'll be able to match a bullet to this gun from the body and prove he did it or didn't do it."

Don nodded. "I'll be at the precinct. I've got paperwork to do while you guys try to figure out this mess," he said, looking back to the body as Hawkes and Lindsay finished up and were getting ready to have the body sent back to autopsy.

"I'll call you and let you know what we find out," Mac said, evidently stifling a yawn.

Don nodded, struggling to stifle a yawn of his own unsuccesfully. "Deal."

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Don leaned back in his chair at his desk in the precinct and looked over the report in front of him. He could've sworn he'd already signed this one, but the line where his signature was supposed to go stared back at him blank and Don swore it was laughing mockingly at him.

He shook his head with a slight frown and rolled his eyes. He was seriously losing it if he thought that blank line was laughing at him. Grabbing one of the pens off his desk, he scribbled in his signature on the blank line before tossing the pen back to his desk and letting the report fall to his desk near to the pen with a bit of a gust of air and a light smack as the paper landed on top of his desk.

He ran a hand over his face and this time managed to stifle a yawn. He shot an unenthused glance at his phone, which remained silent as it had for the past half hour. For that, Don was grateful and amazed. It was usually ringing non-stop.

"You look like you've had one hell of a day." The familiar voice made Don smile a bit.

"That, my dear Angell, is quite the understatement," he said, looking over his shoulder to see Jess with her bag hanging from her shoulder and her hair pulled back in to a neat ponytail. He smiled softly. "You leaving?"

"Yup, and I've got a shotgun seat with your name written all over it," she said with a grin. When Don looked like he was about to say something – and something he didn't really want to say by the looks of it – she cut him off, "Don't worry. I already talked to Mac and he knows you're leavin' with me."

Don smiled. "You literally just saved my night. Do you know how boring paperwork is?"

"Yeah, about as boring as you staring at that blank line with a glare!" Jess said, laughing.

Don frowned as he stood and collected his phone from his desk. "You saw that?"

"Damn right I did," Jess responded. "Now let's blow this place. I'm tired and I hear there's pizza en route to mine for our eating pleasure!"

Now it was Don's turn to chuckle. "You really know just how to include everything, don't ya?"


	12. Shoot Straight (Prank Challenge)

**Chapter Twelve, Story Twelve: Shoot Straight**

**Summary: Danny, Adam, and Mac are taking the prank challenge to a whole new level, and Jo and Lindsay aren't going to forgive them quickly. What are the guys up to now? You'll have to read to find out! This is my contribution to the Guys vs. Girls Prank Challenge!**

_**New York Crime Lab – Ballistics Lab**_

"Shoot straight," Danny said with a smirk. Mac was grinning like an idiot and Adam was even in on it as well.

Mac had his service weapon in his hand. "Going once, going twice?"

"You sure about this, boss?"

_There's_ the Adam they all knew!

Mac grinned. "She'll kill me later, but I'm gonna get a kick out of it. Besides, what other job lets you take a shot at your boss with no consequences?" he asked.

Adam finally smiled and Danny took Mac's gun. "I wanna do this one," he said.

Adam chuckled. "I can't believe we're really gonna do this in the middle of the lab."

Mac smiled and looked over at the lab tech on duty in the ballistics lab. The young man gave him a thumbs up and Danny and Mac looked to each other. "You miss and I will personally strangle you to death," Mac warned with a serious tone even though he was grinning.

Danny chuckled. "Chill, would you? When was the last time I missed out on a prank as good as this one?"

Mac shook his head and smiled. "Alright, just shut up, Messer!"

It wasn't five minutes later before Adam ran out of the ballistics lab, looking around frantically and spotting Lindsay. "Lindsay!" he yelled.

Lindsay looked startled. She'd heard the gunshot from the hallway, but she knew Mac and Danny needed to test fire several weapons from a case earlier in the day. "Adam, what happened?" she asked, concern darkening her eyes as she hurried to the lab tech's side.

"The… the… gun!" Adam stuttered as usual. "It… it misfired I guess… and, oh… God…."

Lindsay raced to Danny's side as he was kneeled in the ballistics lab by an unmoving form that she recognized as Mac. "Oh my God! What the hell happened?!"

Danny broke out in this smirk and Lindsay stared at him like he was a maniac and she looked back to Mac, trying to wrap her head around the blood soaking through his clothing.

That was… until he jumped to his feet out of nowhere, scaring Lindsay and making her jump back with a loud curse.

And when she finally came to her senses, Mac was leaning against the table, laughing hard with Danny beside him as the lab tech and Adam stood smirking behind the table near the corner of the lab.

"What the hell was that!?" Lindsay yelled crossly, staring accusingly at Mac and Danny. "I thought you were dead!" Her accusing glare was now only for Mac, who was still grinning.

"It's paint, Lindsay!" he said, smiling. It made his supposedly soothing words sting and Lindsay just stared at Mac with a look of extreme disbelief.

Danny laughed more. "It was his idea!" he said, pointing his finger at Mac. Jo walked in, looking alarmed.

"What on Earth is this?" she asked. Her brow was furrowed as she walked over to Mac, not missing the pissed gaze Lindsay had fixed on the older man. She frowned even more when she saw the red that had stained Mac's shirt.

Just as she was about to say something, Mac grabbed her hand and the look on his face told her he had meticulously planned all of it with Danny. "Relax, Jo. It's paint."

"Mac Taylor!" Jo scolded, pulling away from him. Danny and Mac set off in to another round of laughs, leaning against the table as they did so, as the two woman stood in front of them, amazed that the two men had pulled off such a stunt.

Danny finally handed Mac back his service weapon and Mac unbuttoned his dress shirt to reveal a bullet proof vest over his t-shirt – with the red paint as the obvious cause of the stain that the girls had taken as blood.

The look of total shock on Jo and Lindsay's faces was priceless to the four men in the room – Mac, Adam, Danny and the lab tech were all laughing.

"You're lucky I'm not your boss, Taylor," Jo breathed, running a hand over her face. "NEVER do something like this again! And get a damn shower to clean yourself up! This lab's got better things to do than worry about you and Danny getting shot in the ballistics lab!"

Although there was a hint of guilt in Mac and Danny's eyes, both men were still smirking as they exited the ballistics lab, heading for the showers in the locker room.

Jo and Lindsay turned their accusing gazes to Adam and the lab tech, both men falling silent at the dangerous looks on the faces of the women. "Were you two in on this as well?"

"Uhh… well, you know… Mac did ask me to uhh… you know… help him out with this and he is… my boss, so it's not like I could say no," Adam stuttered. The lab tech beside him nodded quickly in agreement.

Jo and Lindsay sighed and shook their head. "Remind me to kill my husband the next time he even _thinks_ about something like this," Lindsay muttered.

Jo nodded and looked in the direction that Mac and Danny had stalked off in, towards the locker rooms. "I swear, I love the man, but he really is a pain in the damn ass sometimes!"


	13. Wasting All These Tears (Lyrics)

**Chapter Thirteen, Story Thirteen: Wasting All These Tears**

**Summary: You can't plan life out and expect it to go as planned, especially when including love in that plan. Mac and Peyton face a difficult time in their relationship, and both of them realize that they've been lying to themselves in one way or another. My response to my own Lyrics Challenge where I picked Mac/Peyton, and "Wasting All These Tears" by Cassadee Pope. I don't own anything, but "Wasting All These Tears" is one of my more recent favorite songs.**

**~ ooOOoo ~**

"_I tried to find you at the bottom of a bottle,_

_Laying down on the bathroom floor…"_

Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was the fact that they really didn't work with each other like she thought.

She sighed and shook her head, brushing a stray strand of her brown hair that had somehow slipped out of her ponytail behind her ear again, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes with her other hand. She was still trying to convince herself that it was wrong, wrong to think that they didn't work like she had convinced herself they did.

The glass in front of her was spattered with rain that made strange patterns that she looked at with another sigh.

"_My loneliness was rattling the windows,_

_You said you don't want me anymore._

_And you left me_

_Standing on a corner crying,_

_Feelin' like a fool for tryin',_

_I don't even remember_

_Why I'm wasting all these tears on you,_

_These tears on you."_

"Peyton?"

She looked over her shoulder with a start. She silently cursed for looking like such an emotional wreck like she did now. "I'm fine," she said quickly, not even realizing who she'd been addressed by and turning her back on them again.

"No you're not. And neither am I."

_Oh. It's _him.

She jumped when he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Leave it, Mac," she said, her voice a half-hearted growl. And he pulled back. She didn't look up, but she could picture the hurt in his blue eyes.

"_I wish I could erase our memory,_

'_Cause you didn't give a damn about me,_

_Oh, finally I'm through_

_Wasting all these tears on you,_

_These tears on you."_

"Leave it?" he finally asked. And she finally looked over at him. The grayish reflection off the glass turned his blue eyes to a more smokey gray-blue and she watched as he let out a bit of a shaky breath, not looking over at her with his gaze fixed on something she couldn't see. "I thought that was the mistake I made. Leaving it," he finally said.

She sighed softly, allowing her shoulders to slump as she looked out of the window again as well. "I'm not sure what to make of us anymore," she admitted. "I don't know if this is going to work, Mac."

"_You ain't worth another sleepless night,_

_And I'll do anything to get you off my mind,_

'_Cause what you wanted I couldn't get,_

_What you did, boy I'll never forget."_

"It's my fault." A kind of humorless chuckle escaped his lips and she looked over at him again, watching as he shook his head. "I'm the one that you should be mad at. You did nothing wrong and I know I messed up a lot more than either of us would like to admit."

She took a deep breath, already hearing her mind trying to say that it wasn't true and he didn't do it, but she did. And that's where she cut herself off, realizing that it was exactly the same thing he was doing, only he was admitting it aloud to her. She looked at him and for the first time they locked eyes.

"Don't say sorry," she said, reaching out a hand to place it on his shoulder. She felt stiff and she realized he felt the same way. What on Earth were they doing here? No idea if they should step away from each other, step closer, or stay put.

"_And you left me_

_Standing on a corner crying,_

_Feelin' like a fool for tryin',_

_I don't even remember_

_Why I'm wasting all these tears on you,_

_I wish I could erase our memory,_

'_Cause you didn't give a damn about me,_

_Oh, finally I'm through_

_Wasting all these tears on you,_

_These tears on you."_

He looked at her, uncertainty showing in his eyes. "Then who's supposed to say sorry?" he asked. "Definitely not you, Peyton. Don't tell me you're sorry, just don't."

She looked at him for a moment longer before she finally couldn't take it anymore and she stepped over to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "But I am sorry," she said softly, closing her eyes and feeling more warm tears start to form in her eyes. "We should both say sorry."

He put an arm around her shoulders and gently brushed that same strand of her hair back out of her face. He sighed softly before he nodded. "Yeah… I guess we should."

She took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes before she looked back up at him. "So… where do we go from here?"

He shook his head a bit. "The question is… can we forgive each other?"

There he was pointing out the truth again. She nodded. "I can," she said.

A trace of a smile crossed his face and he only hesitated for a moment before he kissed her and she kissed him back, one of her hands coming up to his neck near the collar of his jacket, just like always.

They only pulled back a little, both of them with eyes closed and standing there with their heads against each other's. "And so can I," he finally murmured and they both opened their eyes to look at each other again.

"_And you left me_

_Standing on a corner crying,_

_Feelin' like a fool for tryin',_

_I don't even remember_

_Why I'm wasting all these tears on you,_

_I wish I could erase our memory,_

'_Cause you didn't give a damn about me,_

_Oh, finally I'm through_

_Wasting all these tears on you,_

_These tears on you._

_I tried to find you at the bottom of a bottle…_

_Laying on the bathroom floor…"_

_Yes,_ she thought as she smiled a bit and leaned against him as they both looked out the window, watching the rain. _We can make this work._


	14. My Angel (Seasons Challenge feat Hawkes)

**Chapter Fourteen, Story Fourteen: My Angel**

**Summary: He found her in a way he didn't expect, but what he didn't expect further is the chance to start a life with her outside of his job. My response to Kates89's "Seasons Challenge" in which I got Sheldon Hawkes, Season Seven, and the emotion "grateful."**

**ooOOoo**

To say the least, my job offers a wide variety of types of stress and a daily schedule might as well be non-existent. I mean yeah, I show up at a set time for a shift at the lab and go home when the case is closed or when my shift's done. But it's not the kind of job you should expect to be able to lead a normal life and still have a relationship to turn to.

What do I do? Interesting question, really. Former surgeon and medical examiner before I transferred over to Mac's unit full-time as a Crime Scene Investigator. Not to mention subbing time into a medical unit when I'm not on CSI duties.

It made it all the more of a miracle when I found Camille, after God only knows how many years, when we had a vigilante problem – going around and killing rapists. I had never quite admitted to myself until that case that I had actually been looking at Camille as a little more than a friend, in my mind of course.

Good Jo actually guided me in to the realization. I took to her nicely. I mean, she'll never replace Stella, but she's a great person. I'm really glad that we have her on the team. She has such a personality that I really love to be around her. She makes it all a little easier, you know what I mean?

Anyways, back to my dilemma with Camille. She's… She's something else, I'll tell you. She's just so bright and full of adventure and love for life that it's really amazing. She takes my breath away, honestly, she does. I love it… No real way around it.

To be strictly honest, my first reaction when we were caught up in that explosion of that food truck was nothing too short of terror. I was so concerned about her, but we both knew our jobs and once we knew we were both ok… We just kind of set to it. It's strange, actually… I often do wonder just how much a person can take of this job.

Mac's a prime example, not put him in the limelight or anything, 'cause he'd kick my ass if he heard me like this. Hell, I can't even _begin_ to list what he's been through with us. I probably know his medical records best out of anyone on the team. Nothing short of more than his fair share of just scraping by with his life. Yet he's as stubborn as ever. It's a real honor to call him a friend, and to look up to him as my boss as well. He's helped me out a good deal more than I know he'll ever admit. Now, I wouldn't go asking him about it… Mac Taylor is a man that you don't want to get in a bad mood. Not that he's prone to it… but… alright, you get my point.

And then there was that party Camille invited me to. She scared me a little, to be honest. Waking up and realizing I was late for work was the first bad thing that happened. Irony is that I was randomly selected for the team's random drug testing. Damn it, I was starting to get worried there…

When Mac wanted to talk to me, I thought for sure it'd end up not being everything I was hoping for. I was kind of hoping for a smooth evening afterwards, but he's the boss. He would've seen the results sooner or later.

Second-hand exposure, I'd told him. His words were nothing short of concern and a warning. I appreciate the concern, but I had to be honest with him. The job sure does keep us all on a tight leash, and Camille was the break I was looking for.

A chance to live, and I firmly _partially_ denied it. I knew my job and I knew where the lines were drawn. She respected it and so did I. I'm sure Mac was doubting it though. If you were there and you saw the look on his face, you'd know. You don't have to know that man at all to get his message. It's all in his eyes, I swear.

But, enough reviewing all those downs and forgetting the ups. 'Cause Camille… well, I guess you could call her both.

Ironically, she dropped by my place after that day when I got drug tested. Considering the chat I'd just had with Mac, I had at first been hesitant on accepting her in to my place, but damn… She pulled a fast one with pulling off her jacket, I'll admit it. And it's not like I could just leave her in the hall when I heard someone on the floor.

If there was anything I wanted to really say about her… It would be that yeah, I love her. And I'm really grateful we gave the whole thing a chance. I feel like I can be at ease with her… Like the weight of the world gets taken off my shoulders.

That's why I'm grateful to have her. And I don't plan to ever let her go too far.


End file.
